Planet Mars: Story of Another World (Springer Praxis Books Popular Astronomy)

Mars, like planet Earth, is a complex and vast world with a long history. The authors of this book give a new insight of Mars by adopting an original outline based on history rather than on subtopic (atmosphere, surface, interior). They focus on the past and present evolution of Mars and also incorporate all the recent results from the space missions of Mars Express, Spirit and Opportunity. This book goes to the heart of current planetological research, and illustrates it with many beautiful images. The authors describe the magnificent scenery on Mars including Olympus Mons, more than 20,000 metres high and the solar system’s biggest volcano. At Mars’ poles, glaciers, formed from thousands of fine strata, are evidence of past climatic fluctuations. Drs Forget and Costard and Professor Lognonn? introduce a new world and reveal the workings of the planet Mars. They answer the questions: How was Mars formed? Why has its evolution followed a different path to that of Earth? What do its river beds, volcanoes and glaciers tell us about its past? Could life have existed there? Does it exist there now? What processes ‘drive’ Mars today? The five parts of the book trace the history of Mars. Part 1 examines its formation from the ashes of dead stars, more than 4·5 billion years ago. Part 2 travels through its early and turbulent youth and gradual, 3·5-billion-year long metamorphosis. Part 3 traces the creation of great planetary structures while Part 4 explores this active planet as it is today, with its dust storms, water features and atmosphere, and shows that Mars is subject to continual climatic change. Finally in Part 5, the story of the recent exploration of Mars and current research in laboratories and space agencies in preparation for the missions of the next twenty years is recounted. Cover......Page 1 Planet Mars: Story of Another World......Page 4 9780387489254......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Welcome to Mars!......Page 12 Introduction......Page 14 Martian landscapes......Page 19 Chronology of Mars......Page 22 PART 1 - BIRTH OF A PLANET: -4.6 to -3.8 billion years......Page 27 1 Before Mars and the other planets......Page 28 2 Very rapid protoplanetary growth......Page 31 3 Formation of the core, crust and mantle......Page 34 4 The evolution of Mars, the Earth, Venus and Mercury......Page 37 5 What Martian meteorites tell us......Page 40 6 The origin of atmospheres and water......Page 43 7 Meteoritic bombardment......Page 46 8 The enigma of the 'north-south dissymmetry'......Page 49 9 The primordial dynamo and magnetic field......Page 52 10 The moons of Mars: captured asteroids?......Page 55 PART 2 - A YOUTHFUL MARS: -4 to -3.5 billion years......Page 59 1 Rivers on Mars!......Page 60 2 The source of Mars' rivers......Page 63 3 The mystery of the lakes......Page 66 4 Traces of water......Page 69 5 A history of many chapters......Page 72 6 In search of a lost ocean......Page 75 7 The mystery of Mars' past climate......Page 78 8 The theory of life on Mars......Page 81 9 Hunting for fossils......Page 84 10 A unique witness: 4 billion years old......Page 87 11 The end of an oasis: Mars loses its atmosphere......Page 90 12 Life on Mars today......Page 93 PART 3 - THE SLOW METAMORPHOSIS: -3.8 to -0.1 billion years......Page 97 1 A sub-surface motor: convection in the mantle......Page 98 2 Giant volcanoes on Mars......Page 101 3 Olympus Mons: the solar system's biggest volcano......Page 104 4 Lava flows and lava plains......Page 107 5 Ridges and cracks on the surface......Page 110 6 Valles Marineris: the valley of wonders......Page 113 7 A permanently frozen sub-surface......Page 116 8 The mystery of the chaotic terrains......Page 119 9 Outflow channels......Page 121 10 A drive around the mouth of Ares Vallis......Page 124 11 A second Siberia......Page 127 PART 4 - CLIMATES AND STORMS: Mars today......Page 131 1 Seasons and temperatures......Page 132 2 The atmosphere of Mars......Page 135 3 Martian winds......Page 138 4 Martian meteorology......Page 141 5 Dunes, ergs and erosion: footprints of the winds......Page 144 6 The dust cycle: ever-orange skies......Page 147 7 The dust cycle: planet of storms......Page 150 8 The dust cycle: whirlwinds of dust......Page 153 9 The dust cycle: global storms......Page 156 10 The water cycle: vapour, frost and ice - water on Mars......Page 159 11 The water cycle: clouds and fogs......Page 162 12 The CO_2 cycle: seasonal polar caps......Page 165 13 The CO_2 cycle: an atmosphere which solidifies......Page 168 14 The CO_2 cycle: the vagaries of carbon dioxide ice......Page 171 15 The CO_2 cycle: the residual southern polar cap......Page 174 16 Climate change: when Mars rocks on its axis......Page 177 17 Climate change: ancient glaciers on Mars......Page 180 18 Climate change: surface ice at high latitudes......Page 183 19 Climate change: intermittent water flows......Page 186 20 Climate change: polar sediments, evidence of past climates......Page 189 PART 5 - EXPLORING MARS: 1650-2050......Page 193 1 Telescopic voyages......Page 194 2 First visitors: the Mariner probes......Page 197 3 Soviet setbacks......Page 200 4 Viking......Page 202 5 A difficult exploration......Page 205 6 New American initiatives......Page 208 7 Spirit and Opportunity: wheels on Mars......Page 211 8 Europe joins in: Mars Express......Page 215 9 The future of European Mars exploration......Page 218 10 Imagination serves exploration......Page 221 11 The Grail: returning samples......Page 224 12 Astronauts on Mars......Page 227 Epilogue......Page 230 Index......Page 235 Mars, Earth's sister planet, never ceases to thrill. In the last decade, a dozen space probes and their robot explorers have been sent to the Red Planet; the next 20 years will see more voyages, each one making Mars an even more fascinating place than it was before. Planet Mars: Story of Another World offers a unique insight into this vast and complex planet. Here is the history of an evolving planet, from its birth 4.5 billion years ago until the present day.

Planet Mars goes to the heart of current planetary research. The reader is taken on a richly illustrated journey through the fascinating vistas of the Red Planet, as revealed by recent missions and NASA's tireless robot geologists. In addition, the book compares the evolution of Mars with that of Earth, in hope of telling us more about our own past and perhaps how life began. The French edition of this book won the Grand Prix du Livre Scientifique d'Orsay in 2004.

"Planet Mars goes to the heart of current planetary research. The reader is taken on a richly illustrated journey through the fascinating vistas of the Red Planet, as revealed by recent missions and NASA's tireless robot geologists. In addition, the book compares the evolution of Mars with that of Earth, in hope of telling us more about our own past and perhaps how life began."--Jacket Give an insight of Mars by adopting an outline based on history rather than on subtopic (atmosphere, surface, interior). This work looks at its evolution, and incorporates the results from the space missions of Mars Express, Spirit and Opportunity. It also examines its formation from the ashes of dead stars, more than 4 5 billion years ago